Mark Lanegan Band – Blues Funeral
Great title. And blistering opening track. ‘The Gravedigger’s song,’ with its mangled, lurching drumrolls immediately sets the scene. Dims the lights (except for one, which is left ominously flickering), moers the walls of your house down to reveal a desert with a lone, winding road slewing through it. In the tradition of the Bad News loner, Lanegan brings you tales of sex and death and drink hung from overcast skies.
Lacking the dark testosterone of Nick Cave, or Tom Waits’ otherworldly eccentricity, Lanegan’s gravel-voiced hero is pitched closer to Chris Rea’s streamlined apocalypses, with their abandoned highways and ever-fleeing horizons, and the guy with his thumb eternally cocked, ancient leather bag slung over left shoulder, shimmering into the credits.
“I look at the sky/ I see an airplane as it flies/ is this the way they said Jesus came?” Lanegan asks before plowing into St. Louis’ Deep, dying South.
With original Peppers drummer Jack Iron manning the drums and some wicked axe work from Allain Johannes, Lanegan’s mythologies aren’t just backed by instruments – in ‘Bleeding Muddy Water’ the lurching beat personifies the cold-eyed determination of the protagonist dragging his body into unknown tomorrows.
Excellent road-trip fare.
Francois & The Atlas Mountains – E Volo Love
Francois’ beautifully palindromic ‘E Volo Love’ kicks off with a vaguely Maskandi guitar riff, before the French vocals traipse us into a gentle wonderland of sparse, evocative musical scapes (lyrics are divided ‘tween French and English throughout). There are elements of such unrelated phenomena as early REM, Twin Peaks, traditional African music, The Cure, French chanson and a mysterious ingredient x.. all draped with such unexpectedly glinting cohesion as to gently take the breath away. Like a forgotten favourite band stumbled across in a parallel universe or a dream, satisfyingly familiar yet cast in foreign tongues and strange, dusky light.Francois’ French blood also allows for such charmingly naive lyrics as: “Sitting by the fire/ drinking alcohol/ singing like a choir/ singing on and on..” By track 2, with its indecipherable, repeated lyric, which seems to say: “Blues that collide off stews”, or perhaps (but no less opaquely) “Blues that collide always choose,” I was brightly hooked. Aside from the playful, enigmatic vocals and lyrics, the stars here twinkle mostly from the now jangling, now trotting, now looping guitars, guiding us through these curious, magical meadows adorned with horns and folk and reverb and otherness. Very very naas.
Nibs Van Der Spuy – Morning Star
Filled with the Sparkledust of lore.
‘Morning Star’, Van Der Spuy’s tenth album, is a collection of tales that could – aside from the occasional geographic and temporal clues – come from any period in history. It fits neatly into ancient traditions of minstrels bearing legends and wonder from village to village.
Known for both his acclaimed solo works and his collaborations – from the gorgeous, lush ‘Sweet Thorn’ with late great Gito Baloi, a host of guests on the experimental ‘Hadeda’, and, most recently, ‘In the shade of The Wild fig’ with former pupil Guy Buttery – Van Der Spuy is highly flexible. On ‘Morning Star’ he charts his own, starlit course.
Nibs’ vocals offer the human side to his musicality – his voice is fallible, and bears traces of his passage through time. It is textured with memories and loss and the glimmer of hope. His guitar playing, in bright contrast, is full of resonance and purity, bringing an element of divinity to his music.
A master musician who has performed all over the world, Van Der Spuy’s guitar playing remains loyal to his stories, there is no flash here – no ego. The tracks, filled as they are with travels and loves, become a tapestry of personal mythology, and, like the best of myths, they hum with magic and truth.
Album Review: Rocket – Tipp Topp
This merry li’l Jazz-Funk album laid siege to my car’s music machine most all the way back North from CT’s Jazz and Electronica fests. The outfit’s name references one of legendary Jazz pianist Herbie Hancock’s biggest hits, ‘Rockitt’, but its music digs even deeper into Hancock land. Most specifically, said pianist’s foray into Funk via the perpetually sampled, mid-70’s albums ‘Headhunters’ and ‘Thrust’ – remember Digable Planets’ ‘The Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like That)’? That was one of what became dozens of Jazz, Hip-Hop and Trip-Bop tracks to borrow, steal or tip the ol’ hat to The Headhunters’ POW. All this highly specific name dropping should just about drop Rocket into the abyss of Cheeez (especially as the brief brilliance of keyboard-led Jazz-Funk – as exemplified by Hancock’s Funk season – was Smothered in cheese, only surviving due to its foundation of genius). Rocket, somehow, not only survives the fall, it swoops back up, mid-way, all Iron Man-like.Founding keyboardist Emanuel Ruffler digs deep into his grooves, bringing in select contemporary heavyweights Duane Eubanks (for trumpet duties) and Patrice Blanchard (for chunky Bass) to simultaneously evoke that brief season of Jazz-Funk brilliance, and update it for today’s more demanding sound systems. The Goodness.
Album Review: I Thought I Was An Alien – SoKo
The debut album, I thought I Was An Alien, by French singer/songwriter, Soko is a bit like reading the diary of an angsty and miserable martian. It has the addictive frailty of broken youth that is so refreshing and honest. At
times it feels like she is painfully unsure of herself, despite being genuinely charming but then brilliant strength bleeds out as the album wears on. Often orchestral and immense and then just as frequently toned down and
sparsely acoustic, this is a richly diverse introduction to new talent. It’s utterly relative to those going through emotional turmoil and playing with ideas of existence, love and loss.
In the song that shares the same title as the name of the the album, she combines weird machine-like samples with charming simple and sweet indie-pop melodies. These are strummed out herself to accompany her awkwardly lisped lyrics, draped in a silvery French accent.
One of the most delicious songs on the album is ‘First Love Never Die’. Soko manages to arrange melodies that jump moodily from the bashfully happy chorus to upset and progressively darker verses. Her strong instrumental
composition is hung with webs of croaked out pleas to an unknown lover, “Can you feel the same? I will never love again.” It ends abruptly on what appears to be the brass section of an orchestra.
‘Don’t You Touch Me’ is the scornful, aghast tantrum directed at the rather horrid ex-lover again. It’s vibrant and colourful folk with her unique edgy adolescent emotion building up and breaking down, leaving the familiar theme of satisfied despair.
Album Review: The Real Estate – Days
Not to be confused with our own Real Estate Agents, that Bam-tastic duo of Markus Wormstorm and Sibot. The Real Estate navigate infinitely subtler and more placid waters.
The Real Estate’s latest offering is so subtle, so unassuming it easily slips into pleasant background humming. But while its pastel hues operate prettily as a backdrop to driving or smiling, I’d recommend turning up the volume and zooming in.
Sophomore release ‘Days’, following 2009′s acclaimed self-titled debut, sees The Real Estate quite literally easing into beauty. The crux, and seeming vitality of The Real Estate seems to be just that: Ease. The melodic and lyrical imagery of ‘Days’ is submerged in simple, crisp beauty. At its best, as on mesmerizing outro ‘All the same’, The Real Estate resemble early Tortoise channeled through modern Folk – cyclical meanderings swell with new aural details as the 7-minute stroll progresses and resolves, stretching lazily, like a content feline. ’Days’ is pleasant stuff. With a capital ‘P’, and rendered in a mysterious, vaguely exotic font.
Album Review: Band of Skulls – Sweet Sour
Band of Skulls arrived late to the global blues rock party and on this, their second offering, they now seem to be the first to suggest it’s time to move on.
Shrugging off much of their instantly likable debut’s Jack White influence, Sweet Sour is sparser, yet broader in scope and far more moody in tone with an intriguing tension between ballsy, classic rock bombast and English indie restraint. Driving rhythmic hooks recall Houses of the Holy–era Led Zeppelin as on ‘The Devil Takes Care of His Own’ while near-monotone melodies are delivered in perpetual two-part harmony to hypnotising effect throughout the album.
There are a few rocking tracks, but much of the album is more subdued. This quieter aspect of the band seems far more developed than on the last album and some of these gentler songs contain some very beautiful moments.
Sweet Sour is aptly titled because it isn’t as immediately accessible as its predecessor but is sweeter all the same. And while the first album would go well with beer and bourbon this one would cure the hangover.
BAND OF SKULLS – Sweet Sour by Pias France
Album Review: Coastal Grooves – Blood Orange
Dev Hynes, the creative genius behind his debut album as Blood Orange, Coastal Grooves is without any shade of a doubt, one of the coolest people on the planet right now. Having worked on various projects with major players like The Chemical Brothers and his previous band, Test Icicles, his new persona as Blood Orange comes together as one of the best conceptual albums of the year.
Heavily influenced by Western and Asian styles, he floats daintily above catchy pop and surf-rock layers with his dreamy, soft-spoken lyrics. Champagne Coast and Sutphin Boulevard place synthy, slinky rhythms that hark back to 90’s Prince and really makes you feel like you’re walking through the Hollywood hills in your high tops and Less than Zero in your back pocket.
Blood Orange Champagne Coast by DominoRecordCo
Track three, ‘I’m Sorry We Lied’ is the most addictive groove on the disc with it’s totally original cowboy swagger and seductive as all hell lyrics.
Hynes went O.T.T with Coastal Grooves in a big hipster way but it totally works for him to get clashy and cliche because he does it so damn well. As a whole, this album is sickly sweet and should come with a warning to deter a sugar overdose. Very, very cool.
Album Review: I Predict Graceful Expulsion – Cold Specks
Newcomers on the scene, the aptly named band, Cold Specks, debut their first album on 22 May. Their name is a reference to James Joyce’s epic classic, Ulysses and their album, I Predict Graceful Expulsion, is very much a traditional compilation of songs that tell a story. At the heart of the album is Canadian singer/songwriter, Al Spx, as she is known to the public. Her style has been dubbed ‘doom soul’ but that is more a way of describing Spx’s broken and bluesy sadness that transcends through what could be a songbook of brilliantly composed hymns.
Winter Solstice stands out on the album as a beautifully arranged and heart breaking song that rallies the listener to attention with the throbbing tempo and Spx’s chilling rasp of the lyrics.
Cold Specks – Winter Solstice by Cold Specks
Towards the end of the album, Blank Maps brings the purity and earthy quality of Gospel Sunday Songs. Spx’s voice trembles with emotion and the throatiness comes from a place that is soaked in sorrow and very unique.
Overall it is a carefully composed album that I’m sure will prove Cold Specks as a commendable force of new-school blues fusion.
METAL Album Reviews
GOD BLESS OZZY OSBOURNE
If you missed this absolutely amazing documentary at the Sound on Screen Music Film Festival in Cape Town (last December), you can now get your hands on the DVD to enjoy at your leisure. As one of the Rock and Metal world’s living legends, Ozzy is the first to admit that he himself is dumb-founded that he survived his crazy life. Sure, the incidents of alcohol and drug induced mayhem is sensational and great tabloid fodder, but at the heart of this intimate look at a man who helped create the Heavy Metal genre (with his band Black Sabbath and going on to even more success as a solo artist), there is far more to him than a buffoon on The Osbournes reality TV show. We’re taken through his hard youth in Birmingham, the formation and departure from Black Sabbath, through his two marriages, his children, his triumphs, tribulations and tragedies. With as many highs as lows, Ozzy’s life has been one hell of a ride. This documentary is the first official insider’s look at the man and his tumultuous life and career. Produced by his son Jack, it includes rare archival footage, and the real story from Ozzy himself, his wife Sharon, children, close friends and fellow musicians. This intimate documentary explores this groundbreaking musician (with that unmistakable voice), and the impact he’s made on the music industry as a whole for over 4 decades (not just within his chosen genre). A fascinating movie, whether you like Ozzy’s music or not. (Bonus features include deleted scenes and a Q&A with Ozzy & Jack). 5/5
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NAPALM DEATH Utilitarian
I remember hearing the grinding under-ground brilliance of Napalm Death’s Scum and From Enslavement to Obliteration in the late-80s. It took Metal, Hardcore and Punk to a whole new level, laying the Grindcore foundation. I had the pleasure of opening for Napalm Death on their South African tour in 1993 with my band V.O.D (Voice of Destruction), and admire them for still being a relevant force within the scene decades later, releasing over a dozen albums, touring and not flinching beside newer and younger bands. With still the same line-up as the period of their SA tour (excluding passed on lead guitarist Jesse Pintado), the quartet hasn’t lost their touch. Precision blast beats, frenetic riffs and vocalist Barney’s raw growls are intact. Set to satisfy Grindcore and Death Metal fans alike, the 16 tracks will rattle your fillings. Nice surprises include saxophone legend John Zorn guesting on one track, and a choral touch on another. The cover art captures that classic monotone protest collage style of old, but with Utilitarian the 3-second blasting song novelties of their early years may have been put to rest – yet they still know how to get to the point without wasting time. Compromise and sell-out does not flow in the Napalm veins. 4.5/5
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TRAP THEM
Seizures in Barren Praise
Trap Them display a blend of Grindcore and Hardcore Punk intensity drawn from their vast influences that include everything from Punk legends Black Flag to Metallers Entombed. You get a great mix of these US and Scandinavian genres for an assault on the senses, via dirty Punk flavoured riffs riding a Metal tone, backed by relentless Grindcore inspired beats and a Hardcore vocal delivery. This album may be a few years old (and their last for Deathwish Inc. before moving on to another label) but carries a punch that may easily leave you breathless. If you’re new to this kind of music, you could end up feeling battered and bruised, but many get energized by forceful, relentless audio attacks. If that’s where you stand, this album could get you pumped-up like a speed freak! Other Deathwish Inc. bands you can check out incl.: Shipwreck AD, Blacklisted, Cold World, Pulling Teeth. 4/5
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THE HOPE CONSPIRACY
Death Knows Your Name
If your extreme musical preference is of the new school Hardcore persuasion, then look no further than The Hope Conspiracy. One of the Deathwish Inc. bands distributed here via Plug Music, this may be bare knuckled, raw and in your face music spitting blood and passion, but with good production and a slick approach, you won’t be getting a low grade effort sounding like a one take demo. Formed in 1999, Hope Con has paid their dues, and are not out to take prisoners, making it very clear as they barge in from the opening track, keeping the momentum going through the first ten, the closer the only one that pounds with a much slower groove. Their style also displays doses of Metal and a very upfront Punk attitude. One bit however that too many bands still do is insist on including elongated passages of grating feedback and screeching guitars (here at the end of the second to last track) – it’s something that never impressed me (except when it’s Slayer who can turn it into an art form) – loud music can be great, not frequencies annoying to the ear. 3/5
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LA INK
Season 1
The first season of this popular tattoo reality show clocks in a dozen episodes across 3 discs. As one of the guest tattoo artists on TLC’s Shipwreck AD, Blacklisted, Cold World, Pulling Teeth had a major fallout with the hard-headed owner Ami. This led to her moving back to Los Angeles and opening her own tattoo shop. This opening season you get to see how Kat has her shop built from scratch, and the recruiting of her team with their individual personalities and talents, including assistant Pixie, female tattoo artists Kim and Hannah, and Kat’s idol, Corey. With good times, stress and some amazing tattoos on regular customers and celebrities, this season sets up the rest of the instalments to follow where Kat’s personality, celebrity and brand takes shape – but also leading to things getting out of hand and friendships destroyed (just the kind of drama the reality show producers love to milk for maximum viewer attraction!). While these shows are a godsend for alternative people who are not interested in morons like the Kardashians, it’s a bit of a double-edged sword in that this allows the traditionally outlaw and outcast art form to gain more of a commercial acceptability. 5/5
AWOLNATION – MEGALITHIC SYMPHONY
Even though most of us probably know about AWOLNATION due to their synth-driven, entrancing radio smash-hit, Sail, it would be unfair to make an accurate assessment of their sound, just based on one song (it would be unjust to do that to any artist, but particularly with this original project). Steered by a combination of punk flair and electronic rock, stamped with the soul of Little Richard, and sprinkled with the pop sensibility of Prince and The Beatles, Megalithic Symphony is incredibly difficult to label – but that’s what makes it all the more fun and inviting. Putting fine songwriting before any convention, Aaron Bruno creates a diverse, free musical landscape, overflowing with bright colours, catchy melodies, quirky character and fervour. Try rejecting the thumping rhythm of Soul Wars (“Can I get an amen?”), the rebellious anthemic qualities of Burn It Down, the deadly sway of Kill Your Heroes, or even the dancing verse of Not Your Fault, as these standout tracks take control of every limb, forcing your body to get lost in the music; it’s impossible to deny the sheer infectiousness of it all. To top it off, the album ends off with the 15 minute epic titled Knights of Shame, which serves as an accurate summary of AWOLNATION’s A.D.D., borderless sound. All said and done, Megalithic Symphony isn’t an album for those who enjoy static “bangers and mash” type of tunes – but rather for those who’re open to new musical possibilities and variety. If you’re a fan of different genres, and love music for the music, this album might just become your new favourite. 5/5
The Cure Bestival Live 2011
Bestival, for those who don’t know, is an annual festival held on the Isle of Wight. The Cure for those too young to know, is an alternative band that has been around since before the word ‘alternative’ was even bandied around as a genre. In 2011 The Cure delivered a two hour set to a crowd of 50,000 that was lauded by both fans and critics. This double disc is that two hour set from beginning to end. The first thing that strikes me about the album is just how genuinely ‘live’ it sounds and secondly what a rich legacy of music Robert Smith and his merry men have created over their 26 years of existence. Containing every conceivable hit such as Lovesong, Lullaby, The Lovecats, Fascination Street and umpteen more, the lasting realisation one is left with is that this band writes damn fine songs and plenty of them. With hardly a filler in site, appreciators of Smith’s angst driven vocals and surly melodies should simply lap this up. 4/5
M83 Hurry Up We’re dreaming
Its clear Anthony Gonzales enjoys what he’s doing. Whether his songs tug on melancholic teenage dreams, explore quaint sonic footpaths, or are full-to-the-brim Dance floor killers, there is a revealing energy present. A double-CD, consisting mostly of vignettes (the majority of tracks weigh in under 3 minutes), Hurry Up We’re Dreaming almost insists on the kind of attention not even imagined by standard Pop or Dance albums. Midnight City is prettily retro – Flecks of Depeche Mode and A-HA, with an unexpectedly appropriate Phil Collins/Fabulous Baker Boys styled 80′s sax solo winging in. Instrumental Where The Boats Go sounds like a ghost remembering or forgetting the desolate heart veiled behind the upbeat colours of Tears For Fears’ Mad World. In fact, ’Hurry Up’s pop aspirations are clearly rooted in the fade out of 80′s music – where strains of broken romance took centre stage over the vulgar technology dominating that most superficially decadent of Popular music decades. The totality of ‘Hurry Up’ reads like a sonic love letter to a highly specific past; composed from the crisp, inorganic detail of the Future, but with the passion of the truly infatuated. Beautifully curious stuff!
Bush The Sea of Memories
After a decade-long absence, English alt-rockers Bush have returned – well, half of Bush, at least. The Sea of Memories sees guitarist Chris Traynor and bassist Corey Britz replace Nigel Pulsford and Dave Parsons respectively, who both decided against rejoining the band for their own reasons. Luckily, frontman and Mr. Gwen Stefani, Gavin Rossdale, is still rocking and rolling at the top of his game throughout this release. In fact, Rossdale’s raspy crooning is often the game-changer as he single-handedly transforms songs, such as The Afterlife and Baby Come Home, from “meh” to “ooh”. Even so, Rossdale’s vocal magic cannot hide the fact that the album does lose steam towards the end, with more fillers than killers, only to be valiantly rescued by the glorious finale, Be Still My Love. 3/5
Trenton & Free Radical Giant Step
You can read all about Trenton and Free Radical, who bill their sound as a reggae/hip hop/electro hybrid, on Pg. 20. For now let’s concentrate on the music. Giant Step kicks off with the band’s first locally playlisted single Tomorrow’s Day which features Maxi Jazz from Faithless. Right from the opening guitar riff there is a familiarity to both the guitar tone and the chords that makes one think ‘hmmm I’ve heard this before,’ and therein lay the intriguing charm of this 20-tracker. Containing 11 original songs plus nine variations of their three strongest tracks [in the form of remixes, acoustic versions etc], Giant Step is an upbeat, reggae driven album with a typical rock undertone, which, dare I say it without sounding prejudice, is how white guys tend to make reggae! Mixing it up with some rap and a bunch of cool collaborations with the aforementioned Maxi Jazz as well as Ben Sharpa and Sista Fa (a genuine highlight), Giant Step may sound similar to our own 7th Son or Kana (France) but their trump card is very catchy songs that should have you singing along spontaneously. Not ground-breaking but 100% enjoyable! If the band can sustain their infectious enthusiasm they’re bound to gain quite a fan base. 3.5/5
THE SICK-LEAVES BREAKING AWAY
According to The Sick-Leaves mastermind, Eksteen Jacobsz, Breaking Away might be the last TSL album for a while. If this is merely a “see you later” or a final goodbye, Eksteen can walk away with his head held high after this release. Compared to The Last Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, Breaking Away turns up the oomph factor considerably, yet keeps up with the trend of shorter, catchier songs introduced on the 2010 LP. Refraining from overindulging in too much lead guitar (we all know he can shred), Eksteen had the confidence to let his songwriting do the main talking amid the Brit pop-rock-influenced compositions; I Know Your Name and Fanning the Flames, in particular, serve reminders that you don’t need to annihilate every fret on your guitar to create quality rock ‘n’ roll songs. Flowing superbly and effortlessly, Breaking Away is an easily accessible album that you can pick up and get into immediately. It might be The Sick-Leaves’ most uncomplicated effort, but it’s also their best to date; here’s hoping it isn’t their last. 4/5
The Mars Volta Noctourniquet
Latin prog-rockers The Mars Volta said that this, their 6th album, would be different. And after the first listen it becomes clear: We are no longer on Mars. It must be difficult for a band with such a freewheeling sound to re-invent themselves after five albums. Yet, in light of the fat-trimming exercise of the last (supposedly acoustic) album Octahedron, it seems like a logical step. But the overall electronic direction is surprising. Nocturniquet is a concept album, a twisted electronic fairytale with The Mars Volta’s familiar frantic footprints in an unfamiliar landscape where synthesisers roam wild. Their angular song structures and frenetic rhythms (courtesy of new drummer Deantoni Parks) are all intact but it is a more minimalist yet disjointed affair. With synths at the fore, the guitar work is much more understated. Gone are the hard rock histrionics, allowing singer Cedric Bixler-Zavala far more freedom, resulting in his most diverse performance yet. It’s always exciting to see a band push themselves and take risks, yet while it is a slight musical departure, Noctourniquet enjoyably takes one further down the same rabbit-hole that The Mars Volta have always been digging. Not their best release, but improves with each listen. 3/5
KONGOS LUNATIC
Keeping it all in the family (no, not like a hillbilly love story), Johnny, Jesse, Dylan and Danny Kongos, the four brothers who form the rock band known as the KONGOS, are poised and ready to strike fear into the hearts of hipsters with their new album, Lunatic. Being the spawns of respected South African singer-songwriter John Kongos, their musical culture and education should never have been in question, yet the way in which they blend tribal African rhythms and Balkan beats with old school rock to create a watertight, liberating sound that is simultaneously interesting and commercially-viable is quite astonishing. From the upbeat (Come with Me Now), to the emotionally bare (Traveling On), to the ominous (Take Me Back), to the downright snake-charming (I’m Only Joking), KONGOS flatten your senses like a freight train and announce their arrival quicker than a pimp-slap from Charlie Sheen. Personally, I’m predicting that Lunatic will launch this Phoenix, Arizona-based rock band’s profile and status to a whole other level, so do yourself a favour and get onboard now. 4/5
David Lynch Crazy Clown Time
As an avid fan of David Lynch’s work, this review may be somewhat biased. Lynch is the unique American director responsible for movies like Eraserhead, Blue Velvet, Wild At Heart, Lost Highway and the Twin Peaks TV series. Now if you’ve seen at least one of these, then you know he is everything but conventional. This time around his focus is firmly on the audio, yet the sounds instantly evoke a visual element in your mind’s eye. His collaboration with Julee Cruise does come to mind, but here the ambient, dark moods rely on minimalist instrumentation, mainly guitar and voice by Lynch, together with additional instruments of slow hypnotic drums, bass and guitar by Dean Hurley (with occasional programming and electronica inserted into the layers of blues-laced twanging guitars and various delay, vocoder and pitch-shifted effects on instruments and voice). Sure, Lynch is hardly a singer, but the mostly spoken or whispered words with that distinctive voice of his can get pretty far-out. The only other musician involved is Karen O who sings on the great opening track (also the most accessible song). 4/5
Jack Parow ‘Eksie Ou’
Meneer Parow’s collaboration with grinning, grit-of-the-earth SA icon, David Kramer, sums up the beaut and aim of Parow’s second album. Their collaboration, atmospherically reminiscent of the Nationalist fodder bequeathed by Bok van Blerk’s De La Rey, subverts expectations by being nostalgic without any racial over-or-undertones. Hell, Parow and Kramer even refer to themselves as ‘flowers’ of the Cape, casually transgressing masculine tropes in the same grinning swoop. When ‘Afrikaans is Dood’ [‘Afrikaans is Dead’] hollers into volume, Parow is in his element, reclaiming the language from its dubious extinction and straight into hungry Megaphone. It is Parow’s sincere link to his lingo-cultural heritage that affords him his entertaining bombast. Here is the dude who can succeed in making audiences head-bang, chuckle, shake ass, and contemplate the validity of Afrikaans’ racist stigma, all in the space of a tune. Elsewhere (as in collabs with Gazelle and Francois Van Coke) his association with ‘Ninja en kie’ are detrimental. “All other rappers make me wanna vomit”; “Is it just me or is everything else fokken KAK?”; “Here I come again, Rap’s fuckin’ cool again.” These are all snippets of Eksie Ou’s collaborative efforts, and reek of Die Antwoord. Why Parow felt the need to invite comparison is beyond this reviewer. Coz in his solo tracks – and the occasional collaboration content with LOCALity (see the lovely, intimate Greeff collab) – this album is just about as Grinormous as a really, really lekker Parow gig. 3/5
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